


Holiday Moments

by WittyWallflower



Category: Primeval
Genre: Baking, Brotp, Christmas, Christmas Cookies, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Christmas Tree, F/M, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hanukkah, Holidays, Love, Male-Female Friendship, Meet the Family, Snow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-02
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2017-12-25 11:09:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/952365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WittyWallflower/pseuds/WittyWallflower
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas-themed fluff pieces for the ARC team. Mostly shippy but Ch6 is pretty gen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mistletoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Becker tends to Jess's injury and ensures it doesn't ruin her holiday.

Captain Becker halted as he entered the Hub of the ARC, taking in the unusual sight before him. Jess Parker's desk was ringed 'round with fairy lights and there was a stocking hanging from the back of chair. The woman herself stood atop a ladder, swagging an ivy garland from the ceiling and humming "Winter Wonderland" softly. Snowflake screensavers bounced merrily around the room's many unused computer screens. Most of the techs were off for the holidays.

He leaned a hip against a lab table and folded his arms across his chest, regarding Jess with a look of amusement. She was dressed just as festively as her desk in a short red skirt, and stockings with a snowflake print. Her heels were even trimmed in white fur. Becker couldn't help but shake his head at such frivolousness. No one but Jess could manage to wear that and not look utterly ridiculous. 

"How exactly did you talk Lester into letting you do this?" He spoke up but before the last words had left his lips, he realized his mistake.

Jess jumped, startled by the voice behind her, and spun around. Or tried to anyway. Her heel caught in the ladder and she began to totter precariously. The ladder swayed and began to topple beneath her. Becker was across the floor in a flash and before Jess even had time to scream he had caught her, saving her a very nasty spill on the floor.

Her heart was pounding in reaction. She tried to slow her breathing but was finding it very difficult while cradled by Becker's strong arms.

"Lord… thank you," she managed to choke out, her face was growing redder by the second.

Realizing how close she was pressed to his chest, Becker cleared his throat and lowered her to her feet.

"No, it was my fault, I-" As he set Jess down, her sharp intake of breath cut him off and he had to save her from crumpling to the floor.

"My ankle," she winced, "my heel caught on the top rung as i fell, i must have wrenched it."

Becker scooped her off her feet, cursing himself as five kinds of fool for sneaking up on the poor girl, while she on a ladder! Even the most brainless dolt knows you don't startle a person when they are precariously balanced 10 feet off the floor. After sweeping a pile of papers from the surface of the nearest lab table, he gently sat her upon it.

"Stay there" he muttered and stalked off.

Jess held her leg out stiffly and examined her ankle and her shoe for damage. Well, at least the heel was still intact, if a bit scuffed. A twisted ankle will heel, but these shoes were discontinued years ago and the odds of her finding a gently used pair in her size on the internet were not great.

Becker quickly returned, bearing a med-kit with him. Wheeling a chair over to the table, he sat before her and popped it open. She gasped softly when his warm fingers grasped her calf; his other hand gently worked the shoe off her foot. Becker chalked up the reaction to pain.

"Shh," he murmured, slipping her toes free, "Bear with me, Jess."

As carefully as he could, he flexed her foot to and fro, fingers probing for any breaks in the bone. Becker's respect for the woman grew as he treated her; the joint was beginning to puff up already and was clearly painful. Under such treatment Connor would have been complaining and Abby would have been swearing like a sailor. Jess squirmed a bit but remained silent until he was done, taking it like a trooper.

"Nothing's broken, probably just a sprain. Does it hurt very badly?" When he glanced up, he found her biting her lip but she quickly shook her head and assured him it wasn't too bad. By the look of her flushed face he suspected she was trying to play it down.

Lowering his eyes again, he tried not to notice that Jess's pained movements had caused her skirt to ride up on her thighs each time she shifted on the table at a stab of pain. The garters holding up her snowy stockings were showing just below the hem. Actually, honest to god garter. Not hose or tights as he had assumed. Becker, feeling a bit red in the face himself, turned away to prepare an icepack.

"I'll, uh," he cleared his throat and stood. "You'll need to take off your stocking. If we get some ice on it, it shouldn't swell too much."

Writhing in embarrassment, Jess did as she was told, trying to detach her garter and roll her stocking down in a demure, modest fashion. As if there was such a thing. She couldn't bite back a tiny whimper when her fingers brushed her injured ankle.

"I've got it from here." Becker's hand settled over hers. She sat back as he bowed his dark head over her leg once more. Taking the toe of the stocking between his fingers, he warned her, "Brace yourself, and don't look, okay? Ready?"

Jess took a deep breath and nodded. Becker caught her eyes and held them, not allowing her to look away as he gently tugged the stocking the rest of the way off. He watched her grit her teeth as he placed the icepack on her ankle, but the tension began to seep out of her tiny frame as he wrapped a bandage to keep the cold compress in place.

"What inspired the decision to decorate the ARC?" he asked, a way to distract them both as he worked.

"Oh, you know, Christmas. I've always loved it." Jess smiled awkwardly at him, certain she must sound like a silly child. "James always takes his family to Nice for the holidays and hardly any one is on duty, so I thought I could get away with it. Guess i forgot to account for you."

"You have my word I wont tattle on you to Lester." Becker gave her a conspiratorial smile.

"You're nice." Looking around, her holiday handiwork made Jess smile. But how must it seem to the very upright and serious Captain Becker? "I suppose it isn't very professional, is it?"

With a shrug as he finished, Becker leaned against the table next to her, once more taking in the decor strung about the room, noticing for the first time a silly dancing Santa toy on Jess's desk. No doubt it blared a very tinny rendition of a particular obnoxious song when activated. 

"What Lester doesn't know wont hurt him. Its the holidays and only a skeleton support team is here anyway. I don't see the harm in it." Taking in her bandaged ankle, he quirked a sardonic brow. "Well, not much harm. With that ankle I think your decorating might be at an end for this year, though."

"Suppose I can live with that. Thought it might cheer me up a bit is all. Usually my mum and dad come into town and help me decorate my flat. Then we all go out to Trafalgar Square to watch them light the tree.. Its so beautiful under the snow."

Jess gazed off dreamily, memories of happy holidays past tugging at the corners of her lips. Becker wondered if she knew how beautiful she was when she smiled. He grasped onto the excuse of repacking the medkit to tear his eyes away from her. 

"Not this year?" he asked.

"No." She shook her head, her smile turning a bit sad. "Mum's knees aren't doing so good. It wouldn't be fair to ask her climb the stairs to my flat, or stand about for hours in the cold. I'll see them when I go home Christmas Eve though. I suppose its childish to be disappointed over this."

"There's nothing wrong with missing people who aren't around." Becker's eyes clouded briefly as he remembered the year he'd spent missing his friends, unsure if they were alive or dead. Having Connor and Abby back made this year's holiday loads brighter than last year's. By that point he'd mostly given up hope that they were still alive, but not completely. It made for a very strange case of survivor's guilt that sent him into seclusion, telling his family he had to work so he wouldn't be forced to don a cheerful demeanor and socialize. He's spent Christmas Ever sitting in his flat alone, drinking beers and staring past the view out his window while he thought over everything that has happened in his life and all the people he had lost. When the sun had set, he didn't get up to turn on the lights, only laughed at the pathetic picture he made drinking alone in the dark on Christmas.

Shaking off the unpleasant memories, he scooped up her shoe and stocking from the chair and handed it to her. He kept his palm extended to help her up.

"Come on. You need to elevate that ankle and stay off it a while so you're going straight home." It was not a question or suggestion. It wasn't quite an order, as she wasn't a member of his field team or one of his soldiers. But it was close. 

Taking his hand, she gingerly slid to the floor, trying not to put any more weight than necessary on the injured foot But once again Becker took her up in his arms and strode for the door, ignoring her stammered protests.

"Don't be stupid. You can't limp all the way out to the car park. Besides, the floors will be freezing with no shoe or stocking on." 

Jess subsided, and tried not to smile too obviously as she let herself melt against his muscular form.

.x.x.x.

The next day, Jess walked carefully into the ARC. If she took tiny steps, she barely even felt a twinge. She'd been forced to wear flats today and hardly felt like herself. Being inches shorter than she was accustomed to being made her feel like a child, and she was already younger than everyone else so the feeling was not appreciated. Tomorrow she was switching back to her heels, whether the swelling had subsided or not. She spent most of the day sat in front of the ADD anyway, it couldn't be intolerable.

When she padded through the double doors of the Hub, a gasp escaped her. The entire room was decorated! Lights and ivy ringed every surface, not just her own desk. One wall was almost completely covered in stockings. Upon investigating closer she found that each bore the name of a different member of the ARC, from Lester down to the lab techs. The green garland she has been swagging when she fell was now draped from every exposed beam the ladder could reach. There were even paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling! She gaped as she made for the desk. It was simply incredible.

She noticed the lump in the stocking hanging on her chair just before she sat down to elevate her ankle. It turned out to be a hollow chocolate Santa.

"Nothing with orange, right?"

Jess whirled, a bit more successfully this time around. "Becker! What…how…?" She was dumbfounded, a bit speechless. She gave up trying to form words and simply grinned at him foolishly, gesturing at the holiday splendor around her.

"Hope you don't mind I finished the job for you. Never could stand to leave a task half-done." 

"It's amazing! It must have took you all night!"

"Just about." Becker gave a depreciating shrug. "Its not quite finished though, there's one last piece to add, but I haven't been able to decide where to put it."

Looking around, Jess saw that nearly every surface was adorned. What could possibly be left? She searched for an open spot. "What's left?" 

"Just this."

Becker caught her eyes, then glanced above her. Tipping her head back, following his gaze, she saw the sprig of mistletoe he held over her. Taking advantage of her position, face upturned towards him, Becker leaned down and caught her in a tender kiss. She froze in shock, but for only a moment. Soon she let her eyes drift closed, savoring the feel of his lips. It was a long moment before he pulled back. A lifetime to Jess, yet also much too soon.

"On second thought, I'm not sure we should put that up at all." Becker's voice was a bit gruff, but his eyes sparkled. "Wouldn't want anyone else to get any ideas if they saw it hanging over your head." Taking her hand, he placed the mistletoe on her palm. "Keep that safe for me, yeah? I'll pick you up later."

With another smile, Becker released her and began to leave. Trying to swim out of the pool of mushy feelings she'd melted into, his last words managed to penetrate her brain enough to get a response.

"Umm.. later?" She queried.

Her voice was husky and when he turned back Becker saw that her eyes were half lidded, heavy with reaction to his kiss. Damn, she was beautiful. If anyone was in danger from mistletoe hanging about Jess, it was him.

"Trafalgar Square. It's tree-lighting night, remember? I insist we leave early so we don't have to fight the crowds. Wouldn't want anyone stepping on your toes."

He winked, actually winked at her, before the doors closed behind him. Jess collapsed back into her chair, chocolate in one hand, mistletoe in the other.

This may be just be the best Christmas she ever had.


	2. Gingerbread

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor makes sure that Abby has a happy Christmas.

Abby Maitland kicked the door closed behind her and trudged up to her flat, laden down with bags from the market. There weren't so many but they were heavy; her fingers were numb from their weight and cold from the winter air. At the top of the stairs she nearly tripped over a messenger bag left on the floor. She had just had words with him last week about leaving his things laying about!

"Connor!" she growled across the flat, nudging the bag out of her way with a toe. "How many times have I told you-" When she finally looked up, the words died on her lips.

Before her was no less than a Christmas wonderland. an 8-foot tall tree towered before her, lit with fairy lights and covered with glittering ornaments. It was enormous, how had he even managed it through the door? Festively wrapped presents were piled beneath it. Judging by the slightly crooked star atop it, Connor must have had Rex's help reaching the top. He was such an overgrown kid it was no surprise he loved Christmas but he'd never put this much effort into decorating the flat before. 

She called for Connor again as she shrugged out of her coat, but there was no response. Stepping further into the flat, she saw more holiday cheer around her. His ipod was plugged in, softly playing holiday tunes in the backgrounds. There were candles in all the windows and he'd definitely had Rex's help to wind evergreen garlands around the rafters. The telly was even tuned to a station that played footage of a yule log merrily crackling with flames. 

From the back of a closet he had dug out her old collection of snow-globes. There weren't many, mostly silly souvenirs bought at tourist shops by family and friends on holidays abroad but a few had been the expensive sort with a music box built in. She'd nearly forgotten they were tucked away in a box in the closet of the spare room.They both used the cupboard for storage and since all the boxes on Abby's side were meticulously labeled with their contents, Connor hadn't even had to snoop to discover their contents. The snowglobes didnt really fit Abby anymore, she'd grown out of collecting fussy and delicate things with no other purpose than to look pretty. But she couldn't bring herself to chuck them, and really, if there was any time to pull them out and display them, it was Christmastime. 

It must have taken him hours to decorate. Abby herself was never terribly excited about Christmas and this year, with no family to celebrate it with, was no different. But she really couldn't deny that Connor's boyish enthusiasm was kind of cute. He threw himself whole-heartedly into everything he did, especially the things he loved. She had a moment of nostalgia for that feeling, that holiday cheer that made the snow seem sparklier and the fairy lights seem twinklier and made people smile broader and be kinder to one another.

As she headed for the kitchen to put her shopping away, an idea occurred to her…

.x.x.x.

Abby swore a blue streak as she opened the oven. Grabbing a mitt, she pulled a slightly-charred tray of cookies out and threw it down on the counter in disgust. Glowering, she used a tea towel to fan the smoke until it dispersed. This had been a stupid idea and she regretted ever having it.

"Abby!" The door opened and Connor's voice sang out. "Abby, I'm home and I've brought- wait, what is that?" She heard his footsteps pound up the steps. "Is something burning? Did I leave a candle…" He trailed off as he entered the kitchen.

"No Connor, nothing's on fire." she reassured him and gestured towards the burnt biscuits. "Thought I'd do a bit of baking but I failed spectacularly."

"Oh?" Connor wisely kept his tone and expression neutral but honestly he was bloody curious.

Abby had many talents, but baking wasn't one he'd ever seen her display before. He leaned close to have a look at the tray. A smile touched his lips.

"You… you made me gingerbread dinosaurs?"

"And spaceships." she pointed out. The edges were crisped black and a nacelle had broken off, but that was certainly a gingerbread Enterprise. "Tried to, anyway. Must have taken some phaser fire when I wasn't watching."

She tried to laugh it off but Connor saw past the weak smile and what was actually a pretty solid sci-fi joke. He could tell she was a bit upset. The holidays tended to put her in a sour mood with all its memories and she would prefer to ignore most of the fuss about them. But hopefully, he had the cure for that mood so she could have a happy Christmas.

"No worries, love. I've brought something better than gingerbread. Go see, I'll clean this up for you." He jerked his head towards the stairwell and shooed her out of the kitchen.

Listening to her feet pattering across the flat, a big grin broke out when he heard her happy squeal. She nearly fell down the stairs in her haste to greet her brother who Connor had just fetched from the station.

"Jack! What are you doing here? I thought you were stuck at school?" Abby couldn't believe her eyes. She had called Jack at the term's end to see if he'd be by for a visit. Their childhood home was long gone and any school break not spent traveling with his mates usually saw him crashing on Abby's sofa. 

"I was," Young sir Maitland replied easily, slinging his arm around his older sister who stood several inches shorter than him thanks to his last growth spurt. "Didn't have even a quid to put towards a train ticket but this morning Connor called and told me to pack up for a few days!"

Connor turned back to the oven as Abby began bustling Jack upstairs to take his coat. He slipped up an oven mitt to dispose of the failed cookies but he had to swallow a lump of emotion in his throat as he did so. He almost couldn't bring himself to tip the burnt cookies into the bin. Abby hated the trappings of Christmas. But still.. she'd made him gingerbread, knowing how he loved it.

.x.x.x.

Abby couldn't help but stare up at Connor. The man continually surprised her. Decorating the flat, bringing Jack into town for a visit. 20 minutes after Jack's arrival Abby's favorite Chinese place delivered their favorite meals, ordered while the boys drove from the train station. And now this. He'd jollied them into their coats and winter gear after they'd eaten, refusing to say where they were off to as he knotted a scarf about Abby's throat and loaned Jack a pair of gloves. He'd kept mum about their destination the entire ride and it had only clicked when Abby finally found herself standing in Trafalgar Square. 

They'd found a spot a short distance from the large tree London received from Oslo each year. Arm through her brother's, she'd watch through the ceremonies and applauded as the tree was lit up in blazing holiday glory.

Those lights were reflected in Connor's eyes, and his bright smile, as he gazed at it. But Abby was drinking in the sight of joy on his face, more shining and beautiful than any tree. She'd long scoffed at the holiday spirit, but around Connor it felt infectious. He felt it so enthusiastically. He felt everything enthusiastically. Abby wondered if she had ever had Connor's zest for life and joy in in each moment. 

When Jack excused himself for a moment to flirt a few girls nearby, Abby took the opportunity to slip her hand into Connor's and squeeze it gently. Tearing his attention away from the splendor before him, he grinned down at her.

"Magnificent, isn't it? Not too cold are you? There's hot chocolate and cider for sale, or we can leave straight away if you like." he said, rambling just a bit.

She smiled back and mutely shook her head. His smile grew in response to hers. Eventually he turned back to the tree and Abby felt a snowflake brush her cheek. The heavens were adding their own bit of cheer to the scene. Gazing up at the flakes falling out of the black of the night sky, she noticed the decorations around her. A garland on a railing above held a lock of mistletoe tied with a cheery red bow at the apex of each swag. One was centered right over their heads. 

"Connor." Abby tried to catch his attention.

"Hmm?" he queried, eyes still on the choir singing carols before the tree.

"Connor." She said again, more insistently.

He turned back, ready to ask what she needed. Was she cold after all? Did she want a boost up to see better? But the words died on his lips at the sight of her eyes shining up at him. It took his breath away every time, how beautiful she was. And it warmed him to see the happiness in her gazed. Connor hoped there was a bit of that joy to share with him. Of course, he wouldn't be bothered in the least if all of Abby's happiness was due to her brother's presence. That was why he brought Jack here after all and if he monopolized _all_ of Abby's time the next few weeks, well, that was just the price Connnor was willing to pay to make her happy.  

A bemittened hand reached up to grab the scarf he wore. Before he had time to wonder at it Abby drew Connor near, going up onto her toes to meet him, and pressed her lips against his. He hesitated for only a second before wrapping his arms about her and returning the kiss. The snow dusted them softly as they stood, making a beautiful Christmas memory.


	3. Sleighbells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt shows Emily Christmas in modern London.

Matt Anderson caught the hint of unhappiness in Emily Merchant's eyes as she stood in the Hub of the ARC, watching as Jess Parker string fairy lights around her desk. Emily chatted cheerily enough with the other woman but her smile fell when Jess stepped out to locate batteries for a particularly obnoxious musical Santa toy.

"Something on your mind?" he murmured as he came to stand beside her.

She offered a half-hearted smile and shook her head, her brown curls bouncing gently with the denial.

"It's nothing." His eyes challenged the lie in that and she glanced away from his probing gaze. "I'm feeling a little homesick is all. When I was traveling through the anomalies, we avoided any populated time periods. We lost track of dates, too busy trying to stay alive to remember the holidays. Now that I'm back in London, even though its not my London, it brings up a lot of memories."

She smothered a sigh and tried to manage a smile once more. "I knew the day I left that I would probably never see my family and friends again. I thought I had accepted that. But being here, seeing Christmas again, it reminds me of what I left behind. I don't regret the choices I made. But... there are things I miss. Especially this time of year."

Matt put a hand on her shoulder, comforting her in silence for a moment. He wanted to tell Emily that she had friends now, in this time. But he wasn't sure he felt that way himself yet, though objectively he knew it to be true, so he couldn't get the words out. It was lonely being out on one's time. At least in Matt's case, there was nothing he'd left behind that was worth missing.

Another sigh from Emily tugged at his heart and he wished there was something he could do. He couldn't open an anomaly to bring her back to Old London for a visit. As if Becker would allow them to even if the option was there. Still, perhaps there was something he could do...

.x.x.x.

After their earlier conversation he'd disappeared for an hour or so. He'd caught up with her again as Emily was leaving the ARC for home. Without a word, he handed her a pair of mittens and plopped a knit cap on her head. When she'd slipped the mittens on, Matt took her hand and pulled her out onto the street with him. A Clydesdale stood there, champing at its bit and snorting puffs of steam into the frigid air. Bells adorned the harness that linked it to a sleigh, complete with a driver in a top hat and cravat.

"What's this?" Emily turned to Matt with a frown of confusion.

She was a cautious one, his Emily. Being in a strange time tended to make a person careful, he knew that well enough.

"I thought it might make you feel more festive." Crossing to the sleigh, he lifted out a thick blanket and offered his hand as she climbed up. "We can look for your London under the snow, maybe it will feel more like home."

Matt settled her back in the seat, tucking the blanket around her. He gave her hat a gentle tug to make sure it was firmly on and offered her his usual fleeting smile. With a word from him, the driver set the in motion and the sleigh swished through the snowy streets.

Seated next to her, he pulled on his gloves and took both her mittened hands between his. As he chafed them gently to keep them warm, they rode through London as the city wore its air of winter wonder. Occasionally Emily would point out areas she recognized: a historical building, or a statue that had been standing in a park since her day.

Mostly they talked, two people living in a time that wasn't their own, struggling to fit. Emily described the Christmases in her home in old London: the candles on the towering tree, the manor filling with the smell of evergreen from the garlands swagged about on nearly every horizontal surface. As a child she had loved sleigh rides, and strapping ice skates to her shoes to spin around on the frozen ponds of he family's estate. After she and her siblings would tumble into the family's great-room, rosy-cheeked and dusted with snow, to roast chestnuts in the fireplace.

Matt spoke little of the future, Emily knew its bleak devastation wasn't something he enjoyed thinking about. There were no holidays there, no festivities. The only celebrating ever done there was by the survivors that lived deep underground when they gave thanks for making it through another day.

Since coming to this present, Matt hadn't really celebrated any holidays. He kept the appearance of doing so because people tended to ask questions that needed answers, but his father had been so focused on preparing Matt for his mission that both had largely forgotten to build actual lives. This year, after Gideon had passed, Matt was truly alone. He would never have a warm family Christmas as the rest of his team had experienced at one time or another.

Emily was saddened by the loneliness he never let anyone see. Anyone except her. She snuggled closer to Matt, slipping an arm through his and laying her cheek against his shoulder. He smiled as he inhaled the scent of her hair. It always reminded him of camellias.

"Cold?" She shook her head as she felt his voice rumble through his chest. Still, he reached into a basket she hadn't notice before and came up with a black thermos.

"Abby put together a basket for us, including some cocoa. I had her make it hot enough to warm us the whole ride." Fishing out a travel mug, Matt poured her a measure of the fragrant, steamy chocolate. "Don't say a word but I think she dipped into Jess's emergency chocolate stash to make it."

Emily laughed softly and swore her secrecy as she cradled the mug to her. She released Matt's arm to search her pockets.

"That must be why Abby stopped me on the way out to give me this." Matt looked down to see a small silver flask resting on Emily's mitten. It was his turn to chuckle as he took it from her. "I wondered why she thought we would have any need of spirits. Bit easier to understand now."

A generous tot of rum was poured into each mug and the two settled back, huddled close beneath the blanket. For a long moment they were content to allowing the sweet steam to warm their faces and the hot mugs to warm their hands. Just then the heavens opened up and snowflakes began to fall.

Emily turned to Matt

"I'd like to propose a toast. To Christmas. Whatever is in our pasts, or our futures," her knee nudged his thigh gently, "We shall always have this moment, this Christmas."

He tapped his mug to hers, the hot drink and fiery spirits chasing away the chill as he regarded her. Matt had always admired her fortitude. She had fought terrifying creatures in prehistory, been surrounded by baffling technology in the present, and weathered it all with grace. And still she persisted as a positive light in his life, sharing his home and his burdens. And smiling up at him with a rim of cocoa on her upper lip.

Matt's thumb darted out, swiped a bit of the sweet drink from her porcelain skin. He grinned at her consternation as he licked his finger clean. Emily was struggling out of her mittens to grope in her pockets once more for the kerchief he knew she still carried. The only woman he knew who still carried a pocket kerchief. He trapped Emily's groping hands and she had only a second to catch his rare playful smile before he kissed her.

With delicate pecks, his lips took the chocolate and Emily smiled beneath them. But then his head slanted against hers and she began to drown inside his kiss. As they were pulled through snow-clad London, nothing penetrated Matt and Emily's little world except the sweetness of their kiss and the sound of sleigh-bells.


	4. Shamash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claudia makes sure Nick doesn't spend the holidays alone.

"Thought I might find you here."

Claudia Brown's heels tapped across the parquet floor as she came to stand behind Nick Cutter. This was the pub where they had first met, the night she'd asked for his help in containing the creatures from the anomalies. He didn't turn away from the bar, where he'd been nursing a glass of amber-colored Scotch.

"Claudia Brown." Nick took a swallow of Scotch and glanced over to offer her a half-smile as she slip onto a bar-stool next to him. "What brings you out on a night like this?"

He glanced out the window to confirm that it was still snowing. It had started when he'd left the ARC earlier that day, and now he could see the silver flakes still falling. They gleamed in reflection of the fairy lights strung from every balcony on this street. Still, it was more of a snowy wonderland than it was a blizzard.

"Actually, I came looking for you," Nick gazed steadfastly at her until Claudia had to fight the urge to blush. "We've all been looking for you. Tonight's the Christmas party, remember?"

"Oh, was that tonight?" His face was deadpan and Claudia felt fairly certain he hadn't actually forgotten. Certainly, he didn't seem surprised to hear it, nor was he paying his tab so they could get back to the Home Office for the celebration. Rather, he signaled the bartender for another.

"I'm sure it would mean a lot to everyone if you came. You are the team leader after all. Good for morale. Besides, Connor went all out setting this all up."

Nick snorted in affectionate exasperation. Connor Temple was like a Great Dane puppy, vastly endearing in a very naive and bumbling way. But dreadfully accident prone and somewhat desperate for attention. Still, Nick had never had a more loyal student or friend. After Stephen, of course.

After a sip of his refill, Nick turned to Claudia with a wry smile. "Connor forgets… I'm Jewish."

"Oh." Still, Claudia doubted a generic holiday potluck at the office would run contrary to Nick's religious beliefs. She considered offering to acquire a menorah, but feared offending him. Claudia's family had never been devout. Christmas was more a social convention than a religious observation for them.

Unsure of what to say, she dropped her eyes and toyed with her fingers in her lap. After a long moment, Cutter's hand settled over hers. They were warm, and he had the supple fingers of one who spent many hours with a pen in hand. Sometimes she forgot that less than a year ago he has been a lecturing professor in a tweed coat.

She looked up at him to say… well, she wasn't sure what but when his blue eyes met her, she suddenly didn't feel capable of speech anyhow.

"We can join the party, but first just… just sit and have a drink with me, Claudia Brown." Nick smiled warmly at her and called the bartender over.

.x.x.x.

Over the next hour and a half, and three glasses of white wine, Claudia got to know a side of Nick Cutter that a million personnel files couldn't show her. Mostly they reminisced about the holidays of their childhood. Snowball fights during the rare winter snow in Edinburgh. Claudia breaking her arm in a toboggan mishap at age 10. How excited Nick had been as a young boy the first time he'd been permitted to light the Shamash. Claudia's yearly family expedition into the country to find the perfect tree.

When Nick spoke about recent holidays, the last 8 years spent without his wife, Claudia began to understand why he had ended up here tonight. He was so used to isolating himself from others at this time of year, freeing people of their obligations to him so that they could spend time with their families and friends. But who spent time with Nick?

This year he had a whole team of people who cared for him and he was going to spend it with them if it killed him.

"Come on." She threw a fistful of notes on the bar and jogged Cutter's elbow. "Time we were going."

Claudia paused just outside in the snowy night, buttoning up her overcoat and settling her scarf close about her throat. As she slipped on her leather gloves, she noticed Nick watching her intently.

"What?" she smiled in confusion, "What's the matter?"

Cutter couldn't help but smile back. The streetlamps made her tawny hair glow and the snowflakes that settled on her made Claudia sparkle.

"Nothing. Nothing is the matter." 

He reached out with those long, clever fingers and brushed a few flakes from her bangs. "Miss Claudia Brown." His finger softly grazed Claudia's cheek before tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She shivered in reaction to the touch and his warm palm cupped the back of her head. Then his lips were hers and Claudia settled her hands at his waist. He pulled away a slow moment later, but this time her lips sought his. And she didn't let him go.


	5. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Becker shows Abby she'll always have family.

Captain Becker, walking his last rounds of the ARC before leaving for the holiday, was surprised to find Abby Maitland in the Menagerie. The Anomaly Research Centre was on a skeleton crew over the holiday week. With a winter storm in the forecast, Becker had released most of the remaining personnel early to beat the foul weather home. The only people left in the building were the necessary security staff, himself, and evidently Abby.

“Abby?” Becker said as he entered her office overlooking the animal pens. “What are you still doing here? I thought this wing was empty.”

“Just finishing up a few things. I wanted to make sure the creatures will be set up without me for a few days.”

“Well, don’t stay too much longer. When that snow finally hits you wont be making it anywhere tonight.”

“No worries about that. I haven’t got any plans for tonight, and I’m sure Rex wont worry much if I’m a bit late getting home.”

“No plans?” Becker asked. Abby’s response to turn away awkwardly and he frowned. It didn’t seem right she should be alone on Christmas Eve but he was hardly one to talk. Until a few minutes ago he’d thought himself nearly alone in the building. “Well then, you’ve just been recruited to keep me company while I shut this place down. No one but emergency teams will be in till the new year and everything needs to be locked up tight.”

“But you said, the snow…” Abby’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“I’ll pop you home when we’re done, I’ve got all-weather tires.” Her lack of enthusiasm was obvious but that was her own misfortune for staying late enough for him to catch her, Becker thought. “I’ve got the Hub next but I’ll be back to help you secure the creatures.”

.x.

By the time Becker returned some ten minutes later, Abby had closed down Menagerie herself but he made a show of double-checking the enclosures anyway. Each had a metal cage rigged to descend as a backup in case of power failure. The enclosures themselves, including automated feed dispensers, were rigged to backup generators as well. Only Abby’s head staff had the codes to release any of the creatures and, barring the loss of daily affection from Abby, the animals would experience no discomfort while unattended.

When they finally left the building Abby eyed the overcast sky. The pregnant clouds had not yet opened up to give birth to the blizzard that forecasters had been predicting for two days now. The storm stalled over London, teasing with the possibility of a white Christmas. With nothing on the ground as yet however, Abby felt quite safe to drive home. But when she said as much Becker overruled her.

“I insist.” he said as he herded her towards his vehicle.

“But that’s silly, why should you go out of your way?”

“Oh it wont be out of my way at all, don’t worry.” He opened the passenger door and bustled her inside without another word.

Abby was pretty confused. As much as she appreciated his concern for her safety, this was going a bit overboard considering not a single flake of snow had fallen yet. Becker was nothing if not practical and efficient so she hardly knew what to think.

As he guided them through the streets of a shopping district busy with people buying their last minute gifts Abby wondered how man like Becker spent his Christmas eve. He wasn’t one to chat about his social life but Abby had known him long enough that she ought to know more about his family at least. Did they get together to celebrate? An ugly Christmas jumper party probably wasn’t in the schedule for the macho Captain Becker.

Did people still have those? She had only be missing for one Christmas but sometimes the year she had spent trapped in the past felt like a decade; sometimes she still felt out of touch with the modern world. Not that she had ever had much experience with a traditional family Christmas. Abby thought about asking Becker about his plans but suddenly realized he had guided them into an unfamiliar part of London. The homes were elegantly understated, not posh or flashy but definitely upscale. And definitely not Abby’s neighborhood.

“Do you need to turn your sat nav on? This isn’t the way to my flat”

“We aren’t going to your flat.”

“What? Where are we going then?”

“You’ll see.”

He refused to answer any more questions and a few minutes later pulled into the drive of a large home. A number of vehicles were parked outside; Abby could tell there was a party going on inside. Before she could wonder at finding herself there she was whisked inside into the tumult. 

The various Beckers were introduced to her in a bustle as she was led through to the party and divested of her coat. Mother and Father Becker were a pleasant couple of retirement age, fit enough to look a bit younger than they were. Captain Becker’s father had never lost his ramrod-straight military posture and still kept his iron-gray hair cropped short, but he took Abby’s hand in both of his as he greeted her. The Becker brothers three lined up to meet her. Two were of similar height and solid build to Becker himself, but they flanked a third brother who topped them by several inches. The Becker men were tall already and now Abby felt absolutely tiny.

“Hi Abby, Happy Christmas.” One brother stepped forward to shake her hand “We’re H.J.’s brothers. I’m Richard, this is John and George.”

John was the taller, and upon meeting him she could tell now that George was the eldest. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about mixing them up. As she greeted each they pointed out their wives in the press. John’s wife naturally barely topped 5’2” and was probably a full foot and a half shorter than her husband. George’s wife was bouncing their daughter Stella on her knee. The party was filled out by an aunt and uncle, two cousins, a few military buddies, and others Abby could never hope to remember. After a circuit around the room to meet everyone a teen girl bounced up to Abby for her turn and introduced herself as Charlie.

“Also known as Charlotte.” said Becker, ruffling the teen’s hair in a typically obnoxious older brother fashion. “Happy Christmas, little sister.”

“Happy Christmas!” She hugged him, then stepped back with a scowl. “And Charlotte prefers to be called Charlie these days” Now she wore a smug grin. “And we know what its like to have a preferred nickname don’t we, Hilary?” The rest of the family laughed.

“All right, all right,” Becker conceded ruefully. “Fair enough, Charlie. You certainly have a point there.”

“Hilary?” Abby asked, a bit lost.

“Sure,” Charlie answered, “What did you think H.J. Becker stood for? Hilary James. The boys are named after our great-grandparents and my mom’s grandfather had a weird girl name. They didn’t think they were ever going to get a daughter so they went ahead and used it. I came along later.”

Abby glanced at Becker for confirmation and he rolled his eyes as he nodded. She smiled, imagining the teasing he must have got for it as a boy.

“I’d warn you not to tell anyone” he said, “but Matt and Lester already know from reading my personnel files. And Connor already knows from hacking my personnel files. Frankly, you’re probably the last to know. Jessica even named the blasted mammoth Hilary.”

“Oh, that’s a name I expect you’ll never escape.” Abby teased him. But as she was welcomed into the charming fold of Beckers and their friends, Abby was too gratefully to him for inviting her to taunt him by using the name herself.

.x.x.x.

From there most of the party migrated into the kitchen. Drinks were made and everyone arranged themselves around the walnut dining table, armed with butter knives and bowls of icing to decorate biscuits. Mrs Becker and Richard were manning the ovens and produced trays of delicious smelling bisuits. The radio was tuned to a station playing a nice mix of classic christmas tunes and the best pop covers and everyone chatted easily. With so many hands helping the seemingly endless trays of sweets were soon finished, just in time for the kettle to whistle. Abby was licking a stray smear of icing from her finger when Charlie jumped up and ran to the window.

“It finally started snowing!” Charlie crowed happily and tore out of the room.

“She’s been worried it wouldnt be a white Christmas” Mrs Becker said with an indulgent laugh. “The snowstorm has been in the forecast for a week but you’d think it was a one-in-a-million chance.”

Charlie soon returned with a knit cap perched atop her head. Her arms were full of coats she had hastily grabbed from the hall cupboard and now began shoving into peoples’ arms. 

“Come on, we have to go out and see!”

So Abby found herself out on the wide porch of the house, watching the fat white flakes drift heavily down from the sky. It couldnt have been snowing more then ten minutes but everything already wore a coat of white. Charlie and the Becker brothers were already throwing snowballs and chasing each other through the snow but the rest of the party remained on the porch where Mrs Becker soon produced mugs of hot cocoa. As Abby took a sip she saw Mr Becker pull out of a flask and give him cocoa a small tot of rum. He offered it to her but she declined. With a wink at her, he passed the flask to George as he joined them, breathless, for a mug of his own.

The falling snow seemed to close the happy scene in. It muffled the sound and with no traffic to be heard Abby could almost pretend she wasn’t in London. Almost. A hallooing sounded across the lawn and from the house next door several people hung over the railing of their own porch to wave. Some of the Beckers waved in return and were soon shouting holiday cheer back and forth. Mr Becker soon spoke up in a stentorian boom and called the neighbors over to join the fun so they didn’t all have to shout at each other all night long. The rowdy crowd next door cheered at the invitation and began to make their way over, some hopping right over the railing.

They too were welcomed and ushered inside for cocktails and cocoa. As everyone trooped inside Abby lingered behind to watch the snow for a bit. H.J. Becker joined her in companionable silence until caught a low chuckle from Abby.

“Something humorous?”

“Just myself.” she said. “Earlier, on the way here, I wondered about you, your family… if you spent your holidays alone. It seems rather funny now.”

He had to chuckle at that. As everyone grew more jovial and more people joined them, the noise level grew. If the snow didn’t prevent any of the other guests from arriving later the house was going to be packed full by dinner time. Abby seemed a bit amazed by it though.

“And why are you spending this holiday alone, Abigail?” his voice was a comforting rumble. she knew the question was asking as much or as little as she would care to say about the matter. For a moment she did considered shrugging it off.

“Connor’s with his parents, they went to stay with family in Kent. After spending last Christmas not knowing if he was alive or dead, they’re all very anxious to spend time with him. His aunt rang the flat twice to make sure he’d got the entire week off from work. Connor and Duncan exchanged gifts the night before he left, they picked up takeaway and watched Battlestar Galactica while wearing Santa hats.” Abby’s lips quirked a moment in remembered amusement before falling sadly. “Meanwhile, Jack… has gone on a skiing holiday with friends. I expect he’ll remember to call me on Boxing Day whenever he finally surfaces from a hangover.”

She chewed her lip for a moment. Abby knew that she didn’t blame Jack, nor did she take it personally. Christmas had never been an elaborate affair in his life. Whereas she still had a few hazy golden memories from her young girlhood, the happy homey holidays ended before Jack was old enough to recall them. In financially rough years their father had even been guilty of deliberately downplaying Christmas, celebrating it as quietly as the children would allow so as not to excite their hopes to expect countless presents and their favorite homemade sweets and visits around to all the relatives. Those traditions had left along with Abby’s mother.

“I guess I envy you your family, your mom baking sweets, the holiday music, the yule log. All the things Christmas should be. With the people you love.” she tried for an apologetic smile but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Being alone for the holidays can be rough.” Becker said, coming to lean against the railing beside her. Flakes drifted down to settle in his hair, melting away after a moment. “And even a large family doesn’t offer immunity to spending an occasional quiet Christmas by yourself. I was alone last year.”

“Really? All the people in this house who would clearly love to have you around and no one to spend Christmas with?” Abby could hardly credit it.

“My brothers were overseas on active duty. Rather than face Christmas in an empty house, staring at empty chairs, my parents look my sister to Scotland. I could have gone with but I didn’t have much festive spirit. You and Connor were missing and,” Becker paused a spare second to clear his throat “Sarah had died just a month before. I didn’t want to be a damper on anyone’s festivities. This is actually the first year in a while the entire family has been able to make it together for Christmas. There’s usually one or two of us missing.”

“It doesn’t seem right for you to be standing around out here with me when you could be spending time with them. You go on, I’ll call for a taxi and head home.” She slipped her mobile phone out of her pocket and shooed him inside.

“Good luck with that, Abigail” was Becker’s mild taunt as he plucked the phone from her hand and dangled it above her head. Abby made a grab for it and he lifted it higher, out of reach. As a short woman who had played any number of unwilling games of keep-away with taller people, Abby was not having any of it. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him pointedly. Her face reminded Becker so much of his younger sister’s expression of mutinous teenage disdain that he had to laugh as he tucked the mobile into his pocket. “And if you try to use the phone inside, I will get my Charlie to sit on you. ”

The threat made Abby laugh despite herself. It was good to hear her laugh. Becker had noted the changes in Abby since she was stranded in the past. Connor had come out of it as battle-tested version of himself; more confident and more competent but still very much Connor Temple. Abby was harder to read. He hadn’t considered her a particularly chatty person to begin with and since her return he found she was even quieter. Calmer, more serious and level-headed, Abby rarely spoke without thinking these days and it kept her guarded.

Well it was time she let her guard down.

“I’m sorry your childhood didn’t come with the happy Christmases kids deserve. But you have more family than you realize. I sound like a bad holiday television special but family isn’t just relatives. Family is who you choose to be around at times like this. You don’t have to feel like the odd man out because we chose to invite you. Just like we chose to invite that lot next door, even though one of them knocked over the tree about five years ago.” He smiled. “Come on, we’ll get you a beer and join the party. I expect there will be caroling after cocktail hour so you can experience the joy of a large group of people who mistakenly believe they can sing. By the end of the night you’ll be a member of the family. I’m serious. Any person here would help you move or drive you to the airport”

Draping an arm around her shoulder, he drew her inside and into the family.


	6. Holiday Treats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jessica bakes sweets for everyone at the ARC.

_“Oh, the weather outside is frightful_  
_But the fire is so delightful_  
_And since we've no place to go_  
_Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow”_  
  
The smooth voices of classic crooners filled Jess Parker’s flat with a festive warmth. Fairy lights were strung everywhere. Bedecking the tree, framing the windows, even draped on the suspended track lighting around the space. All ablaze, they shown out into the dark night, reflecting off the falling snowflakes. The whole flat was aglow and smelled of cinnamon and sugar and chocolate.  
  
_“Oh, it doesn't show signs of stopping_  
_And I've brought some corn for popping_  
_And the lights are turned way down low_  
_Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow”_  
  
Jess sang along as she danced around her kitchen, baking up a storm. She let the measure of sugar trickle into the bowl, raising the cup high and shaking it gently so the sugar fell like the dusting of snow outside. She was celebrating the departure of her downstairs neighbors. With the flat above her still empty while up for let, there was no one within three floors to be disturbed by her Christmas music and 2am bake fest.  
  
Jess was a conscientious neighbor normally. She ordinarily wouldn’t dream of listening to music at this volume even at 2 in the afternoon. So there was a delicious freedom in knowing there was no one to be disturbed by any of her behavior, no matter how outlandish it might be during a sugar high. Besides she had such an urge to prepare holiday treats and when else would she get the chance? She’d already had to order the presents for her family online, having next to no time to shop. And Christmas shopping was such fun! A tin of cookies would help though. Homemade sweets made every gift seem much more personal.  
  
So here she was, bopping around the flat with an apron styled like a sexy Mrs Clause thrown on over her usual homewear of leggings and a long jumper. Fuzzy socks with dancing reindeer on them protected her dainty toes from the cold of the bare wood floors and weren't half bad for sock slides as she waited for the oven indicator to ding. Every flat surface outside of the kitchen worktop was covered in parchment paper and biscuits, some still cooling, some waiting for icing, some ready for the tin. A giant decorative platter covered in tasty treats and cling film sat on the chair by the door where she wouldn't forget to bring it in to work. She even had a paper tablecloth printed in poinsettias to put under it. The break room could use a little festive cheer and if the colorful cover did manage it, the platter full of free food certainly would.    
  
Luckily there was an all-hours market only 2 blocks from her flat. She could manage a few batches with what she had on hand, but she had been low on eggs and some of the special recipes required special ingredients.  
  
  
For Matt, who comes from a land without holidays let alone holiday biscuits, Jess after much thought and research, aware of Matt's love for all form of flora, found a recipe to infuse icing with herbal and floral flavors. the lavender and the rosewater flavors turned out the best, in Jessica’s opinion. she hoped Matt would appreciate them. And the small book she had found in a secondhand shop filled amazing hand-drawn renderings of plants, their key features and medicinal value inked in tight precise print next to them. It was bound in a soft well-used leather and looked like it had traveled far and seen a lot. In that way it reminded Jess of Matt himself. Of course he would be utterly baffled to be given any sweets, let alone a proper gift. From what Jess had worked out, Matt had spent most of his time in the past hiding from it. If Jess had come back to a pleasant past after a life in a post apocalyptic future, you can just bet she would be enjoying herself and taking advantage of all the as-yet-undestroyed world could offer.  
  
 But Matt had Emily now to draw him into the present world. She had lived in a world different from the future he came from and from the now. Life had moved slower in Emily’s world, been more languid and leisurely, especially for an aristocratic woman with a wealthy husband and family. If the lovely cushion Emily had gifted to her (stitched with the phrase “Born to Shop” and a remarkably well rendered pair of Louboutins) was any indication, the Victorian woman had had ample time to practice her embroidery. Jess in return had given Emily a lovely scarf. she had worried that it was rather a generic gift, too impersonal for Emily who she was genuinely very fond of. But Emily was so pleased that Jess had thought of her, the field coordinators worries would have been assuaged even if Miss Merchant has rhapsodized over the fabric. She beamed when she tried it on. Jess had picked a color to suit her exactly. And Jess had a sneaking suspicion that Emily was still getting used to the skin-baring fashions of the modern era. Certainly no woman would wish a return to corsets, but shedding so many layers to reach current fashions must have Emily feeling naked. The extra layer provided by the scarf was a lovely but subtle security blanket. And Jess had researched a recipe that probably hadn't been prepared in over 100 years. While reminiscing about past holidays, Emily had mentioned her favorite pudding that was always served at her family’s Christmas feast. The name had sounded vaguely familiar to Jessica, probably from a Dickens novel she hadn’t read since Secondary or some such. Armed with the Internet, it had taken Jess no time to bring the delicacy to life. She couldn’t wait to hear if it had lived up to the real thing as Emily remembered it.  
  
Connor was as delighted as one might expect when presenting a man with his favorite sweets. When she presented him the tin, he immediately tucked in, mumbling around a mouth full of crumbs that they were bloody divine. But he would not receive his actual present till the weekend. No one would see him for two days after he was allowed to download the software Jess had written for his game console. The video game emulator contained just about every game Connor had ever loved from esoteric gaming systems long since forgotten about and impossible to find even on the internet. It was no big title game he could beat in a single dedicated play-through. Jess had designed it to keep challenging him for months. The secret was to keep certain characters, levels, and features locked until they could be earned. The twist was, the key to unlocking each was hidden in a riddle. First the riddle must be solved, then the objective it revealed achieved. Jess had recruited the sharpest minds she knew to help write the riddles.  
  
Since Abby didn’t care much for biscuits or chocolates, not giving the game to Connor until AFTER the holidays was Jess’s gift to her. Along with a set of knee-pads as Abby had recently decided that she was going to take up roller derby. Apparently kickboxing wasn’t Amazonian enough of a past time. The gear was in a purple plaid color, with large skulls painted on the kneecap. Not that Abby would need any help striking fear into the hearts of her opponents.  
  
At the ARC holiday gathering, Jess had added to James’ collection of immaculate and stylish ties, along with an assortment of cookies for his children and a bottle of syrah for Mrs. Lester. But the true gift from her was arranging a long weekend away with his wife. The perfect holiday after the crush and bustle of the Christmas season. A favorite cousin who often babysat was set to the stay with the kids, several films were rented, new children’s books loaned from the library, and the best child-pleasing snacks were stocked at the Lester home. With the new toys they would receive from ‘Santa’, they would probably forget their parents were even gone. The ARC would only be able to reach him in direst emergency because only Jess knew how to contact him. She hadn’t even told Lester where they were going, so he couldn’t let it slip around anyone in the ARC.  
  
The last on her list had been Becker. He had been a tough one. She really couldn't get him anything that seemed overly thoughtful. Her crush did not need to be even more transparent and a girlfriend-y sort of gift would certainly be saying something. But if she went too impersonal, she was sure someone would notice it next to the effort she had put into the gifts for all the rest. A bland casual gift would be sending its own sort of message. She had racked her brain trying to come up to something relevant to an well known interest of his. Maybe an album by a band he liked or a first edition from a favorite author? But she quickly realized that Becker was not an easy man to get to know. the strong silent type didn’t let a lot of details slip. She couldn’t even hazard an confident guess as to what kind of music he preferred! Good lord, how had this crush taken such firm root? She apparently didn't even know the man! But Jess Parker was nothing if not clever and resourceful. Inspiration had eventually struck but, unsure and insecure, Jess hadn't been able to bring herself to be present the gift to him personally. Much easier to avoid blushing and babbling if she didn't see his face as he opened it. So she had left the gaily wrapped package in his locker for him to discover before he left the ARC. Since then she had swung back and forth between kicking herself for such a stupid, cheesy present and being amused by the funny in-joke that would delight the entire team when they learned of it.  
  
She sighed as she mixed the batter more vigorously than necessary. Really, a pair of novelty slippers in the shape of tanks were hardly worth getting herself so worked up about! If he didn’t like them, oh well. If he wasn’t the type who would get a kick out of them, perhaps he wasn't the right man for her to be pining after anyway. Yes, she mused, that was just the way she’d think of it. If he liked them, fabulous. If not, it could only help kill this crush. Win-win.  
  
Jess checked the timer and saw she had just enough time to roll out her dough and prepare another tray before the current one finished. Brandishing her rolling pin, she smiled and sang along as the next song on her holiday playlist came on.  
  
_"You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch._  
_You really are a heel._  
_You're as cuddly as a cactus,_  
_You're as charming as an eel,_  
_Mr. Grinch._  
_You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel."_

 

 

_ _

_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, i once had sugar cookies with rosewater frosting. Surprisingly tasty even though i don't care for the smell of roses in general. I left everything else pretty vague so everyone can hopefully just project their own favorite traditional holiday sweet treats onto the story.


End file.
